Architecture

The design of the Iceberg seeks to create an iconic architectural design that provides a unique retail experience for customers while responding to the building code requirements and contributing to the enhancement of the site and urban surroundings. As a “Ginza” type retail development, it is important that the architectural design is unique and iconic to attract people to the development. 

Sitting on an infill site, the building is set back at the side to create a pedestrian link to several adjacent buildings and thus improve the existing pedestrian network. The setback creates a third façade to enhance natural lighting and the three dimensionality of the form.

Without any doors at the entrance, the escalator from G/F encourages the visitors to travel freely to the main lift lobby. Responding to the overall design theme of the iceberg, the column near the building entrance is wrapped by glass feature made of triangular glass coated with white ceramic ink.  At the top of the column, the glass feature continues to the ceiling. LED linear lights with diffuser are embedded in the gap of the glass panels. The entrance is, therefore, perceived as a glacier cave. At night, the lights wash the feature and define the three dimensionality of the entrance space.

Night lighting is an important element to a Ginza Type mall because the type of retail, usually F&B, opens late into the night or 24 hours. Special façade lighting serves to create a unique iconic statement to attract shoppers and customers from far away. 

LED light strips were embedded in a custom-made light trough at the bottom of the spandrel. The LED lighting uses RGB colours to that any custom colour can be programmed for the façade. In the design of the “Iceberg”, the ceramic ink frit pattern on the glass panels is washed with bands of light when lit up.  This technology allows the light to be projected at any speed; in this case, the colour changes slowly with a similar fashion of the aurora light.

The setback creates a third façade to enhance natural lighting and the three dimensionality of the form.

Intended as an iconic architecture that stands out from the surrounding dated concrete buildings, the elevation is proposed as an all glass curtain wall that takes aesthetic inspiration from the forms of glaciers. To further enhance and accentuate the faceted façade and its sculptural quality, a graphic pattern in ceramic ink is applied to the glass to create the tilting horizontal bands. The tilting bands serves to enhance the three-dimensional quality of the form and façade. The combination of the ceramic ink patterns, the reflectivity of the glass and tilting curtain wall results in a façade with dynamic multidimensional effect that is ever changing through the day.